| Citation |
SG(C.781.005
9 Jan 1781:13 (1/2)
London, August 20. When the King was informed of the
capture of the East and West-India fleet, by Don Louis de
Cordova, he was immediately seized with horrid paroxysms,
indicating the most violent symptoms of the species of
madness, which attends persons in the east, when bit by a
tarantula. Lord North, the chief physician in politics,
send directly for the band of state fidlers, who having, as
on such occasions is usual, played over some delectable
tunes, to honor his majesty's disorder; they at last fiddled
him into his senses, but he unfortunately relapsed again.
Lord North caught the disorder, and in a moment, with
epidemic swiftness, the whole court, by its bainful
influence, were in a state of lunacy. Her majesty the
Queen, leaped out of bed naked as Venus; and the Prince of
Wales appeared as bare as Apollo of Delphi; the maids of
honor forgot their modesty; the lords in waiting forgot
their breeches. A general tumult ensued. The guards-the
menial domestics- and the lords of the council, with their
secretaries, mingled together in the great anti-chamber, tag
rag and bobtail, where they danced and capered to and fro,
belly to belly, back to back, right and left, hands across,
&c.
The doctors are disputing on the nature of the distemper
. . . [6 more lines]
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